State v. Michael Rashid Moore
LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Friday, September 11, 2020, Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer, Jr. sentenced Michael Rashid Moore, 23 of Waldorf, to 35 years in prison for the Attempted First-Degree Murder of Ronald Murphy, Jr., Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence, and Conspiracy to Commit the First-Degree Murder of Walter Thomas.
On January 29, 2020, Moore entered a guilty plea to the aforementioned charges.
On March 3, 2019, officers responded to an apartment complex in the area of Amber Leaf Place in Waldorf for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found victim Murphy lying on the floor of an apartment bedroom, suffering with multiple gunshot wounds. Murphy was treated on scene then transported to the University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center, where he was further treated. At the hospital, two bullets were discovered to have traveled to his neck and one bullet traveled to his lung; however, thankfully, he survived.
Two days later, on March 5, 2019, officers responded to the 3000 block of Gallery Place in Waldorf for the report of a missing person. Officers canvassed the area and discovered victim Walter Thomas lying face down by a bike path in the area of Freemantle Court. Thomas, who suffered a single gunshot wound, was unresponsive and pronounced deceased at the scene.
An investigation into the shootings revealed that months prior to Murphy’s shooting, Moore and an acquaintance of Murphy got into a physical altercation. On March 3, 2019, Moore saw Murphy outside of his apartment complex in the area of Amber Leaf Place and Wakefield Circle.During the evening hours, Moore waited by the dumpster and saw Murphy leaving in his vehicle. Moore approached the rear of Murphy’s vehicle and began shooting, because of the prior altercation. Before fleeing, Moore fired off five rounds at Murphy while he was driving his car. Murphy was shot three times in his back.
During the course of the investigation, Moore admitted to detectives that he shot Murphy. Moore also stated that he conspired with another individual to cover up the shooting by doing a random armed robbery that would result in another shooting if the victim gave resistance. Moore supplied the bullet for the shooting.
On the evening of March 4, 2019, Thomas was walking with a friend in the area of Fairchild Court in Waldorf. The men were approached by a suspect who commanded them to not run away. Thomas’ friend was able to flee unharmed; however, Thomas was shot. Thomas attempted to flee the area but collapsed a short distance away.
During sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Tiffany L. Campbell called Moore’s actions “senseless, tragic, and selfish” and asked for the maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, pursuant to Moore’s plea agreement.
C-08-CR-19-000377
Count 1
- Attempted First-Degree Murder of Ronald Murphy, Jr.
- 80 Years Suspend All But 35 Years
Count 2
- Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence
- 5 years without parole, Concurrent with Count One
C-08-CR-19-000502
Count 1
- Conspiracy to Commit the First-Degree Murder of Walter Thomas
- 80 Years Suspend All But 35 Years, Concurrent with Other Counts
- 5 Years Supervised Probation Upon Release
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